Sailing away
by Inkognito97
Summary: After the end of the war, Legolas has to make a hard decision. Shall he leave with the last boat to Valinor, or should he stay with his loved ones?


Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or its characters!

Author's note: I know that it was not the last ship for the elves to leave Middle Earth, only the last one for Arwen. But let's just pretend it was the last one!

Elvish translation:

mellon: friend

a'maelamin: beloved

Mela en' coiamin: love of my life

* * *

Sailing away

Gimli was restless. Even though he was lying in a soft, warm and comforting bed after a long time, he was not able to sleep. Something, or better, someone was bothering him. And this someone was his comrade and friend Legolas…

He finally gave up trying to find some rest and turned around to look at the bed across the room, only to see that it was empty. It looked as if somebody laid there, restless as well. Turning and tossing him, while trying to find some much needed sleep, but finally given up as well and folding back the blanket. It seems that this somebody has left the bed and the room some time ago.

Gimli decided to do the same. He would search for his pointy eared elvish roommate.

So he left his bed, put on clothes, boots and his robe and finally stepped out of the room and out of the fortress. As far as he knew his elvish friend, Legolas would be outside, gazing at the stars or the nature.

And really, he found Legolas not that far away. He was standing on the harbour bridge, gazing over the water. Gimli instantly knew what was bothering the elf.

Next to the elf was the big elvish ship, bound to the harbour bridge. The last ship to sail to Valinor…

Turning his gaze away from the ship, back to Legolas, he slowly approached the elf. He stopped right next to him and followed his gaze.

For outsiders it surely looked very awkward, a dwarf and an elf standing next to each other, not saying a word, just looking at the horizon. But for them, it was as normal as the rising of the sun at the beginning of a new day.

"Something bothering you, laddie?!" it was more a statement than a question, but the elf answered nonetheless.

"Indeed mellon!"

"Is it the travel to Valinor?"

"Yes!", he sighed.

"And? Do you want to go?"

"Honestly… I do not know…! On the one hand it is my last chance to go to the land of the immortal, my last chance to be with my family and my fellow elves, but on the other side I would have to leave my friends and comrades, the once I learned to love… I would have to leave Middle Earth as well, without seeing all its beauty and I would leave the opportunity to help rebuild what the war destroyed…"

Gimli did not speak a word as the elf was talking, he just listened to him.

Legolas lowered his head so that his hair was covering his faze, but Gimli did not need to see his friends face to know that single tears escaped him. Gimli laid on of his hands on the lower back of the elf's back. Rubbing it slowly and trying to comfort and calm Legolas. Legolas relaxed slightly. He took a deep breath and turned his head a little, so he was able to look at his dwarfish friend.

"After living here my whole life and travelling Middle Earth for so long, I would almost call it my home, but my father would have said, that our real and proper home is Valinor! … oh Gimli, tell me, what shall I do?"

With that Legolas fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands.

"When I stay, I will sooner or later be all alone. You all will die sooner or later! I would be the last elf, the last immortal in Middle Earth!", he manages to choke out between his sobs.

Gimli stepped before him and let his hand wander over the elf's back, to his shoulder. He pulled the elf into a tight embrace and Legolas let himself sink into Gimli's strong arms. He pulled away his hands, only to cling onto Gimli and he hid his face in the beard of his dearest friend. One of Gimli's hands rested on the back of Legolas' head and ran through his long golden hair, the other one rested on Legolas' back.

They just stood there for a while, until Legolas calmed down again. He pulled away a little bit and looked up. His eyes were red from the crying and on his cheek were tear stains.

"I am sorry…" He tried to pull away, but Gimli's strong embrace prevented him from doing so.

Legolas looked irritated.

"There is nothing to be sorry for!"

"But – "

"No buts!", interrupted the dwarf. "Now you will listen to me! First of all, home is where the heart is and your hearts is where your friends and beloved once are. Well, you may be right, that one day me, Aragorn and the others will be dead, but fleeing won't stop or safe us from dying. … If I were in your position, I would stay! I would try to spend as much time as possible with my friends."

"You may be right, mellon…", the elf looked down again.

"How about that," Gimli laid his fingers under Legolas' chin and forced him to look up. "We will travel around Middle Earth and I will show you its beauty. We will visit friends and help Aragorn to rebuild Gondor, what do you say?"

"And after we did so?"

"After we did so, I will help you to build a ship, a ship with which you can sail to Valinor, a ship that will bring your save to your home!" He smiled softly.

Legolas wiped away the remains of the tears from his cheeks and met Gimli's gaze.

"You said that the home is where my beloved once are, did you not?"

"I did…", answered the dwarf bewildered, not knowing where Legolas was heading.

"Then I fear, I will never be able to leave…"

"And why is that so?"

"But don't you know mellon?" The elf asked grinning, and his eyes sparkling.

As he saw Gimli's confused expression, Legolas could not hold back laughter.

The elf let his hands wander over his friend chest, to his face.

"Oh Gimli, a'maelamin, Mela en'coiamin!"

Gimli's eyes widened at the spoken words, but Legolas just pulled his friends face nearer and finally connected their lips. He closed his eyes at the feeling of Gimli responding and moving against his own lips.

After a while they had to part, because of lack of air, but as soon as air filled his lungs, Legolas spoke again:

"Now it seems you have to follow me to Valinor, will you?"

Gimli smiled and laid his hand on the elf's cheek, who leaned into the touch.

"I would gladly do that, I would follow you everywhere!"

He captured Legolas' lips again with his and for both it was clear, that not even dead could separate them now!

* * *

Please tell me, what you think of it.

It was my first attempt to write a more or lass romantic fanfictions and I would be happy for any advise or critique! :) So I know what to do better the next time!

C Ya ;D


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